Calle Ocho

Came here for dinner once with a date… we were looking for a place to eat after going to a museum and happened to stumble upon this place. We came in, but it didn’t open yet for dinner so we stayed at the bar for about 20 min and ordered a drink until they told us we were ready to be seated.
I ordered the paella, which I love so much.
The portion is pretty big !!! Can’t believe I finished it all myself… but it was delicious! Had lots of clams, shrimps, mussels and also had a lobster in it too. It was like $ 30ish for the paella, little pricey but worth it! The rice was very flavorful and the seasoning was on point.
We also ordered a pitcher of sangria… no complaints about that. Can’t go wrong with sangria!

My wife and I had the opportunity to have dinner at Calle Ocho in the Upper West Side during our visit to NYC. We love food and part of our trip was dedicated to trying as many of the best restaurants in NYC as we could have time to visit. Needless to say, we ate a lot during our trip, but none of the dining experiences were better than our dinner at Calle Ocho.
The food was superb, with great flavors and perfect presentation, definitely the type of dishes worthy of showing off to your facebook friends. We had the Gallitos which consisted of 3 different meats, all delicious. My wife had the Paella, seafood rice, and the seafood was perfect.
We also love drinks and Calle Ocho didn’t lack in their drink options. I was able to enjoy an amazing Costa Rican beer called Imperial which is rare to find in restaurants in the US and we also enjoyed many complimentary sangrias, tropical being my favorite and coconut being my wife’s favorite.
It was all topped off with excellent customer service, I never lacked a drink and my food was timely. It was the best dinner we had in NYC, exceeded all of our expectations and we highly recommend it to anyone visiting or living in NY. This will be the first restaurant we go to when we make it back.

I only came here for brunch on Saturday. Mostly for the bread, because that’s better than the food. The food is good, but nothing out of the ordinary. The bread on the other hand… I always ask for a second basket. The Sangria is good. My friends and I always order every Sangria flavor on the menu and share. I think it’s a decent price for unlimited booze– I split the $ 33 entrée with my friend. Staff is friendly and accommodating. I called a day before for a reservation. I’d recommend making one before coming in– if you are a table of more than four. Very crowded during the weekends that I’ve been here, but that’s not too bad in my opinion.

I’ve been here before for their bottomless brunch and once in just a regular day and time. Both times were very much worth it. The food is definitely full of flavor and personality. The atmosphere is relaxing. Both times I’ve been it has been pretty crowded but the staff works fast to get you a table.
My favorite is the bread they serve with the pink spread!

I’ve had this restaurant bookmarked for months now and I finally gave it a try.
The restaurant itself though the building seems to be under construction is beautiful. It’ll be great for a birthday celebration for big groups or even a small intimate date.
MAKE SURE TO CHECK IN WITH Unilocal FOR A FEEE SANGRIA!
We used the Unilocal check in and got the Tropical and the Havanna Banana Sangria, They were both amazing. Im not to much of a sangria fan as i do not like fruits so I hardly ever order them but I gave this one a try. If you are like me you’d enjoy these sangrias lol.
FOOD– To start the bread rolls are amazing !
I ordered the Peruvian Pollo again I am trying something completely new and I absolutely loved it. Its a sweet plantain with a stuffed breast of chicken topped with sausage and appeared sauce. My meal was made to perfection.
My cousin ordered the Salmon that she loved as well. It was cooked just how she liked it not too dry but also not to moist
Overall we had an amazing dinning experience and will definitely be returning

There’s no side entrance so you have to enter the hotel to get into the restaurant.
This is a nice brunch place, and it offers bottomless sangrias!
We were told by phone that reservations were fully booked and that there were first come first serve seating at the lounge and bar. They stated that brunch started at 11, so thinking that was correct we came early to ensure we would have a table by the lounge area. When we arrived, we found out the info provided was incorrect and that brunch actually started at 12. Luckily we were there early anyways, so we got our table way before it started getting crowded. One thing’s for sure is that this is definitely a very popular brunch spot, and I can see why.
Food was alright, didn’t stand out. I ordered the omelet but it was just ok. Perhaps I should have ordered something else? The bottomless sangrias was nice though, plus the ambience as well, which is why I’m giving this place 4 stars.

One word: Delicious!
My colleague told about this place and he told me that it’s one of his favorite brunch spots. He raved about this place and with 1,900+ reviews & 4-​star ratings — I might as well check it out. So, I made reservations two months in advance for five people. This place is extremely popular for the unlimited sangria during weekend brunch and it’s though to get a spot for large groups. It’s probably easier to book a spot if it’s just two people. You have to play around the Opentable app and check for availability. Dinner reservations could be easier but there’s no unlimited sangria.
You’ll get complementary mini buns, muffins, and croissant with strawberry butter on the side. Everything was warm and fresh. I thought the strawberry butter was alright. I would have preferred plain butter or just jam.
For the sangria, I picked the «Fresca» and it was a strong drink for me I had to dilute the sangria with a lot of ice. I tried my friend’s «Tropical» sangria and it’s was a light white sangria. I’ll get this next time.
For the entrée, I wanted to try four different entrees. But, I picked what the server recommended and it was also one of the four that I wanted to try. I had the «Maiz y Camarones» which is the shrimp and grits (for short). Interesting dish and I rarely eat anything like this too. I got sample my friend’s dishes too and both dishes were also on my list. It was the «Vegetariano» and «Vaca Frita» and both were very good entrees as well.
Service was fine. The décor was nice and colorful with big bold colors on the walls. It was slightly loud too for weekend brunch. The only minor complaint I had was that our sangrias were not served in the fancy wine glasses except for the «Tropical» sangria. I thought was a bit odd and we saw that other tables had their sangria served in the wine glass. Ours sangrias were served in the cylinder drinking glass (just like the one where they served you water).
Not bad experience overall and will come back another time.

Went here for a happy hour and our group tried the Picada, an assortment of appetizers including calamary, shrimp, stuffed dates, something with beef, and something else I do not recall (as it was eaten before I touched it)! Drinks were made well, had just gin & tonic. Would love to come back for brunch and dinner.

The good, bad and ugly come from being here. Warning: drinks are crazy strong but crazy good.
I made a reso 2 months in advance but it was so worth it. A group of 6 of us came for the fabulous sangria brunch not knowing how crazy drunk you will be walking out of here. We each ordered a different sangria and brunch item and sampled them all.
They brought out some sweet breads to start and lots and lots of sangria. I had a high alcohol tolerance back then and by the 3^rd sangria, I was happy loopy. I believe there is a time limit to the drinking but trust, it is more than enough. I was so tipsy, I ended up spilling drinks on my friends shoes and hubby ended up laying down on a stoop in Brooklyn.
Food was superb as was the staff, the vibe, décor, just everything. If you’re visiting NYC and like to eat, drink in a fun spot, you must visit!

This place was THE BOMBBBB. I can’t believe after living in the UWS for 4 years, I’ve never been to this place until I moved out of the neighborhood. Ohmygoodness, totally missed out on such a delicious meal!
It’s true what they say. The bread is so good and fluffy — and with that strawberry butter? I was already happy before the drinks + entrees started.
Unlimited sangria with any entrée. The only downside is that the glasses were too big — making it hard to take advantage of all the delicious sangria flavors unless you’re REALLY REALLY thirsty.
I got the Vaca Frita (skirt steak over rice) — super tasty, hearty meal. Deliciously marinated meat, avocado, 2 fried eggs, topping off some flavorful rice. Ah so good. Near the end of the meal, I couldn’t decide if I wanted my last bite to be the entrée or the bread+strawberry butter OR the sangria. That is a really good struggle to have.
We were a group of 6, and unfortunately one of us had lunch plans afterwards. The restaurant WAS TOTALLY chill though with letting her sit with us, eat the yummy bread, and not order anything to drink/​eat. Some brunch places are pretty strict that everyone has to participate in drunch, so huge thumb’s up to Calle Ocho for the awesome food, drinks, and vibe/​atmosphere!
Next time — need to come back extra thirsty and extra hungry to take advantage of all the tastiness that Calle Ocho has to offer!

I came here for a private event, and was pleased with the attentive service and better food compared to my last visit. The event room comfortably fit about 30 or so people. 2 waitstaff attended to the guests, 1 friendlier than the other, but both prompt and polite.
This time around, my sangria glass was never empty, which I very much appreciated. As for the food, despite my previous negative experience with the ropa vieja, I decided to give it another try. Although still too salty (my friend agreed), it was MUCH improved from last time. The flan for dessert was good, but it had the texture of firm tofu, which is too firm for flan, in my book.
Unfortunately, a couple hours after eating at Calle Ocho, I didn’t feel too good. I’m not saying the food made me sick, but… I got sick after eating the food here. Make of that what you will.

What can make a Latin brunch place even more memorable? Complimentary Sangria that’s what. My friend and I were a little unsure of this until we asked for the bill in the end. No charge for sangria!
Located in the lobby of a hotel, we bumped into this place after coming out of our museum exploring. Although we did not have reservations and they were closing up in 5 minutes (they close at 3 to prepare for dinner) they still sat us with a giant smile. Talk about superb service!
To start after offering you the sangria they gave us a basket with mini muffins and Cuban rolls with a side of a strawberry flavored whip spread. These were so good! If you don’t watch yourself you can eat the entire basket which is what almost happened to us. Luckily our food came out soon enough.
I ordered the vaca frita (shredded flank steak) and it came with rice and beans, an avocado, onions, and an egg. The first bite I have to admit didn’t have me in food heaven. All of the flavors mixed came off rather strong. I guess my taste buds just needed some time because after that initial bite I couldn’t stop eating it! Such an aroma of ingredients. The steak itself was cooked just like a proper vaca frita should, a combination of tender and crispy. Que Rico!
If I had to make a suggestion it would be the egg. I would’ve liked to have chosen how I wanted the egg. They automatically served it over easy so the yolk leaking out became a tiny mess but it was fine because the rest of the dish was divine.
Cherry on top was the salsa music playing in the back. Loved it! Was literally dancing in my chair. I would come back to Calle Ocho but next time want to try out their dinner. If their brunch was a great experience I could only imagine dinner time.

I read the reviews for Calle Ocho before going, and people were raving about how amazing their sangria is and how it was the best Cuban food they had in New York.
Unfortunately, in my personal experience, nothing could’ve been further from the truth. Both of the sangrias I tried (Spanish Harlem and Punta Cana) were a bit too strong for my liking. Hey, there’s a certain limit — stronger isn’t always better.
Then, we waited about 40 minutes for the food to arrive. Mind you, it was busy so it wasn’t easy to flag down any of the servers running about. When we were finally able to ask one of them about our food, he said he’ll check in the kitchen. A few moments later, a manager-​looking man brought out our dishes.
Except they had my order wrong. I had asked for the Latin Benedict with duck sausage and this was just a spinach and eggs Benedict. So I had to flag down a server AGAIN with difficulty, and he took it back to the kitchen.
Then, a female manager-​looking person brought my fixed plate with the sausage, but it must’ve had been sitting there because everything BUT the sausage was cold. Not even mild, but COLD eggs, COLD spinach, COLD arepa and COLD hollandaise sauce. I was disgusted. She brought a plate of fried plantains as a «sorry» but that wasn’t what I had ordered or was interested in.
I actually started to feel very nauseous, maybe from the sangria or from this really cold, stale plate, but either way, this was not the experience I was hoping for, and sadly I don’t think I want to return again and go through all the hassle of waiting for a table, flagging down a server once in a blue moon, and possibly getting served the wrong food again.

The drinks and food are pretty good, but considering the price, I probably won’t come back again. The service was nice though! Definitely try the spicy watermelon margarita.

Customer service was great, but our waiter was maybe TOO attentive. I felt so much pressure to order because he kept coming over every 2 minutes and asking if we were ready. My friend said that the sangria here was the best he’d ever had. They were fruity and refreshing. However, my mushroom paella was less than stellar. The mancheho cheese was way too strong and the pea vinaigrette did not go well with the paella. I was sorely disappointed.
I did like the lounge area in the front. Lots of seating and candles = a low key, relaxed vibe. I’d probably come back for sangria in the lounge, but not for the food. However, I do see that other Unilocalers have raved about the unlimited sangria brunch, so I may be persuaded to come and try that.

So you pretty much have to book at least a week in advance in order to get a table since it’s such a popular place. I wouldn’t say this is the best boozy brunch because the sangria there is super sugary. I couldn’t even finish my first glass because it was giving me a raging headache. The food on the other hand was delicious. I ordered the Vaca Frita which contains cuban skirt steak, latin pork fried rice, topped with an avocado, and a fried egg. That was sooo delicious. The steak was so tender and just melted in your mouth. It didn’t look like a huge portion but I could barely finish it. Also the bread that they start you with off was quite unique but very good.
So in terms of the actual meal, I’d give them 5 stars but I was so utterly disappointed by how I could barely even finish my first glass of sangria because of how disgusting it tasted, so that’s why I took a star away. The first few sips were fine but then I just couldn’t take it anymore… it gave me a headache for the rest of the day. But then again, the price is pretty much unbeatable. I would go back just for a regular meal but probably not for the brunch deal. The atmosphere is nice but it does get a bit noisy due to the amount of people there.

5 star service. The waiter was very friendly. Fast service. The environment was relaxing and inviting. I ordered the paella, the presentation was beautiful. The good tasted so good. Definitely would come here again. A little pricey but you get what you pay for.

Love this place, amazing food and great service.
Had the Tropical Sangria, Ceviche Mixto, Black Beans and Rice, and Vaca Fritta. The Vaca Fritta meat was some of the best stuff I’ve had in a hot Cuban minute. Each and every bite brought a smile to my face.
There is a reason why this place it mad popular, busy, and is booked up way in advance. Because they are the TRUTH when it comes to Cuban food.
Can’t wait to come back again. Certainly going in my «Favorite New York Restaurant» list.

Our party of 3 Came during restaurant week. The menu for restaurant week is rather limited so we decided to do two of the prefix and one paella on the side. Either of the salad or the soup on restaurant week menu was amazing, salad was a bit better than the soup.
Main dish we had steak and fish from restaurant week menu and paella. Great presentation tho, The taste were all OK, not crazily amazing. I was a bit disappointed because I was so excited to come.
Nice service though!

What a great brunch place! It’s so easy to understand why it’s hard to get a reservation. A few points:
–Make a reservation as early as possible. They have reservations for brunch up until roughly 2pm. However, be aware that the kitchen closes at 3 and bottomless sangria ends at 330pm for dinner prep.
–I highly recommend sharing the Gallitos (I believe that’s the spelling). It’s so much food for such a reasonable price. And friend and I couldn’t even finish ours.
–Make sure to grab some complimentary pastries! Who doesn’t love free, sweet carbs?
I can’t wait to go back!

if you’re looking somewhere to boozy brunch. THIS IS IT!
Although you have to reserve weeks in advance, it is well worth it my friends.
9 different sangrias on the menu, a full brunch menu that includes everything that your heart and stomach will thank you for. I went 2 time, the first i got steak and eggs (must I say more) and the second I shared a brunch sampler with a friend that was very hearty and filling. The Service is a bit slow due to the saturation they experience, but they’re very considerate and were ready to tender to all my needs.
MUST TRY IT

Two words: Drunk Brunch.
If you can somehow get a reservation for their brunch make sure to take the whole day off because this is definitely a LIQUID BRUNCH if you know what I mean. They have 6 different types of sangrias (red and white) that are included in with your brunch. oh and the food is good to.

Thank you, Calle Ocho, for making my birthday dinner so special. I did not make a big deal of my birthday and when making reservation simply stated that I request a nice table since it is my birthday. Little did I know, the reservationist noted this down. My server, Cindia, was professional and helpful. The host/​manager, Tami, was respectful and really wanted to make me feel comfortable. Luis, the general manager, took his time to walk to the tables to chat with patrons. Such a gentleman. The Colombian pandebono, their complimentary rolls made from yucca root powder and cheese, were exceptionally good, as always. Cindia and Tami made sure I got some to take home. The pandebono is served with black bean paste, which reminds me of black bean hummus, except that it was a little sweet. I had the paella, which was just great. It tastes like paella I had in Spain, except that they added some tart lemony calamari and salsa so it tasted more Latin American. Really good, and a very generous serving, with half a lobster in its shell. The shrimp were so good — not overcooked, rubbery, but just right, which is a real skill to achieve in paella. The mussels and clams were yum! I didn’t have any room for dessert, but Luis, Tami, and Cindia heard me saying how much I wish I had room for the flan. The next thing I knew, they were bringing me the flan with a little candle and singing Happy Birthday! I did NOT expect that! Flan was oh, so good, with the mango mousse sauce on the side. Now, one of my favorite NY restaurants — loved this place since before its move to the West Side — will always be part of my b’day memories. The setting is gorgeous, and take a nice walk across from the museum, so nicely lit up at night, so you can see the planetarium planets. Highly recommended.

Okay so at 4 stars and 1800+ reviews, clearly everyone else has already said everything that there is to say about Calle Ocho.
Came here for Sunday brunch (1÷17÷2016) with 7 friends and we had a very, very nice time. Everything was great and enjoyable — food, drinks, service, ambiance, everythanggggg.
Reservations are definitely a must (like weeks in advance!) We were seated at a round table for 8 which I like SO much better for a big group as opposed to a long table where you can’t necessarily see or talk to everyone. The atmosphere was so lively, fun, festive, and the restaurant was definitely filled to capacity. It was the perfect vibe for boozy brunch.
The unlimited sangria that comes with ordering off the brunch menu was AMAZING. 8 different kinds to choose from and they’re actually really very good, strong, and served in decent size glasses. Our server was great and kept them coming (even after we got the bill, he brought not one but two more rounds for the table!) What a guy…
The food was delicious. A lot of places that do boozy brunch tend to skimp on food quality because people are more concerned with getting drunk but Calle Ocho perfected both their sangria menu as well as the brunch entrees. I went with the Vaca Frita (skirt steak with two eggs, rice, and avocado). The steak was cooked well and so so SO tender and flavorful. Everyone else at the table enjoyed their food and we were sharing and passing things around because it was all SO GOOD. The fresh baked bread served beforehand was so warm and delicious. The strawberry butter that accompanied the bread basket was pleasantly different and really good as well.
Prices are reasonable at $ 20-​something an entrée + bottomless sangria.
Again with the service/​rest of the staff being fantastic, were were about 20 minutes late but they still held our reservation because one person from the group was there on time and said we were on the way.
ALSO, the bathroom was ridiculously clean for such a large and busy restaurant which means the kitchen’s clean as well!
Basically, I can’t wait to return.

Pretty fun spot for brunch.
Reservations are a bit hard to come by on weekends and need to be made a few weeks in advance.
This place looks tiny when you walk in, but is actually massive inside.
The complimentary bread and strawberry butter is delicious.
The regular brunch entrees are pretty average. Everything is around $ 20 and includes all you can drink sangria. Its mostly eggs, beans, typical mexican fare. This is not gourmet by any means.
I tried the Latin Benedicts and it was ok. REALLY small portion.
Also tried the Maiz and Camaronez. Its a soupy mix of eggs and grits. Tastes really good but looks pretty unappetizing.
BUT, the food isn’t the star of the show. The bottomless sangria is. They have 8 different flavors, 4 red, 4 white.
We had a wonderful server that kept our glasses filled and got about 4 – 5 drinks each by the time we were done. Great service
Definite try this place at least once and then walk down the street for some amazing cookies at Levain for desert before passing out on the subway from your mid-​day hangover.

I’ve been coming to Calle Ocho for years for dinner, and finally I made it out to their legendary brunch a few weeks ago with a couple of friends of mine during Christmas weekend 2015. We came on a Sunday at 12PM, right when Calle Ocho. The wait wasn’t too horrible, but this may have been because people were out of town for the holidays. Anyhow, my friends were in the mood for bottomless sangrias, and Calle Ocho definitely fit the tab and hit the spot!
As mentioned before, I had come here numerous times for dinner only– note that the brunch entrée options are not served for dinner. There is no bottomless sangria option for dinner and there is no wide assortment of breads served during time either. Only one type of bread is usually served for dinner, which is akin to a sweet white dinner roll and is served with a black bean spread. The black bean spread is absolutely delectable and was something I actually enjoyed, even for me who doesn’t like black beans much!
As for brunch – this is where the magic happens. My friends and I both shared three entrees (each entrée comes with the bottomless sangrias): shrimp & grits, ropa vieja, and mushroom paella, along with a side of plantains (combo of maduros and tostados). All the entrees were delicious, but my favorite was the shrimp and grits as it was creamy, full of flavor, and absolutely mouth watering. Brunch is served with a wide assortment of baked mini breads, muffins and croissants alongside a tasty strawberry cream cheese (?) spread that tastes good when added to all the breads that you are given during brunch!
As for the bottomless sangrias, between my friends and I, we tried five of the sangrias, including the Tropical, Punta Cana, Havana Blanca, Roja and Fresas. My favorite sangria was the Havana Blanca since it reminded me of a piña colada and had a perfect balance between sweetness, fruitiness, and alcohol. Of note, the bottomless mimosas have a time limit of two hours, so pace yourself appropriately! The servers are very attentive, noticing if your sangria glass is empty, and will ask you if you want another sangria. Awesome service!
Overall, I have had great experiences coming to Calle Ocho for dinner and I’m happy that I was able to try it for lunch. Excellent food, excellent service and definitely worth the wait. I do like the bottomless sangria option for brunch, so I’ll definitely be back here for some brunch and booze. Yum! Cheers.

Quite an interesting situation here. It seems on weekend brunch there are unlimited glasses of sangria. This explains the dramarama to get a reservation. When I called the night before the very kind gentleman said tables for two normally book two weeks out (!) but that if we came right at opening we could eat at the bar or the lounge area.
We did and I’d recommend the bar for their appropriate seating/​food placing space over the lounge area, which looked cozier but more precarious and smooshed together.
Salmon, arepa omelet was great. Huge and great. Friendo had some trouble with the vegetarian options. They were nice but hilariously could not figure out that meat was not vegetarian, kept recommending «oh the chicken or the pork has a lot of vegetables» as if vegetarian meant: likes vegetables. She ended up with a deconstructed other item and was given a side salad.
Sangria is honestly not my thing. But I will say that for made-​en-​masse booze it wasn’t bad at all. And there are so many choices! The one with açai was very strong and the banana one was light and fresh. But you have like 8 options to choose from made in huge jars. A quarter of the bar was filled with prepped filled sangria glasses of all colors. This is a smooth operation.

Je suis allé spécialement dans ce restaurant pour la paella. Elle était énorme et bonne bien que les fruits de mer n’ai pas trop de goût et soit un peu trop cuits. Les serveurs sont sympa mais l’ambiance un peu sombre. Leur sangria est très bonne et bien servie. Une suffit largement à tenir pendant tout le repas.

Two words. Bottomless Sangria.
Given that this establishment is always booked three months out and I was able to reserve a table for nine within a three week time frame, I mean… ya gotta give your girl credit.
Brunch starts at 12pm and it really doesn’t look like anyone will pop in at first glance. 1-​hour later, BAM, all tables are filled, the sangria is pouring, waiters are running around, and the flow of conversation comes with ease and ever so passionately.
Each party is only allowed a 2-​hour time frame from when they get their first 20oz drank to when they are cordially kicked out by the manager himself. «Your two hours are up, we need to seat the next party»… is basically what goes down. The way you take it in your inebriated state is all up to you.
The food was pretty good, portions could have been larger given the fact it was *ahem* BRUNCH and you just so happen to also be guzzling down sangria by the liter. The bread basket is probably the best thing there, I’m pretty sure we went through three of those things (just to sop up the excess alc of course)… and sadly my friend felt the (drunken) need to take some «on the road» and stuffed them into her purse for future munchies.
Rules are rules (yes there ARE a list of rules in the brunch menu), DON’T dance on the table tops or your WILL get thrown out. A classy brunch is the best brunch, and Calle Ocho is one classy, but borderline crazy Mexican fiesta you need to experience before you die.

Two words. Bottomless Sangria.
Given that this establishment is always booked 3-​months out and I was able to reserve a table for nine within a 3-​week time frame, I mean… ya gotta give your girl credit.
Brunch starts at 12pm and it really doesn’t look like anyone will pop in at first glance. 1-​hour later, BAM, all tables are filled, the sangria is pouring, waiters are running around, and the flow of conversation comes with ease and ever so passionately.
Each party is only allowed a 2-​hour time frame from when they get their first 20oz drank to when they are cordially kicked out by the manager himself. «Your two hours are up, we need to seat the next party»… is basically what goes down. The way you take it in your inebriated state is all up to you.
The food was pretty good, portions could have been larger given the fact it was *ahem* BRUNCH and you just so happen to also be guzzling down sangria by the liter. The bread basket is probably the best thing there, I’m pretty sure we went through three of those things (just to sop up the excess alc of course)… and sadly my friend felt the (drunken) need to take some «on the road» and stuffed them into her purse for future munchies.
Rules are rules (yes there ARE a list of rules in the brunch menu), DON’T dance on the table tops or your WILL get thrown out. A classy brunch is the best brunch, and Calle Ocho is one classy, but borderline crazy Mexican fiesta you need to experience before you die.

Been back here a few more times and I am convinced neither of those times were as delightful as my first.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s still a great restaurant and I highly recommend it. Just be wary that not every dish on the menu is that amazing.
Appetizer:
The Camarones: Puerto Rican glazed shrimp was pretty good… but for $ 14, I’m expecting more than 3 pieces of shrimp. I much rather save my money for gallito, which is much more worth it.
Calamari Frito: The fried calamaris were too overcooked. It was too crunchy and did not have any texture to it at all. It was sweet and had an oriental taste, which wasn’t bad.
Entrée:
Lechon (Braised Pork Shank) — It was decent. The pork wasn’t too dry and the sauce beneath it was great. I just wished they were better able to incorporate the «pickled jalapeño» in the dish. It was simply three jalapeño slices placed on top of the pork. They can do MUCH better.
Pollo Peruano (Chicken stuffed with plantains) — If you enjoy potatoes, then this is your dish. There are more potatoes on this dish than chicken. Not good at all.
Dessert:
Crema Catalana — An excellent crème brûlée.

I heard of many fabulous reviews about this place. Some of our friends come here often for brunch. So of course we decided to come here to give it a go.
The biggest draw comes from the unlimited sangria they serve at brunch. I started to feel uncomfortable when I saw the rules for drinking sangria facing opposite the menu. It makes me think that some customers go over board with the drunken brunch. But why have rules if it never happened? If it happens, then there will be rules set to discourage such behavior.
Not the best brunch place I went to. I have tasted better vegetarian dishes.
I ordered a Vegetariano. I felt it tasted ok. It comes with dirty rice, red peppers mixed with red onions and a little bit of green peas. I kept eating the pastry they served. I ordered the virgin piña colada. It tasted great.
I found the waiter attentive and friendly. He explained to us the sangria list.
In Queens, many of the Latin fushion restaurants serve much better food. From what l hear, places like Blends tasted much, much better at half the cost.

What a fun place for a weekend brunch! During a New York trip, my gracious host recommended Calle Ocho for brunch for 6 friends. She hyped up the sangria, but even without the sangra, I think this place is a win! It is HUGE inside! There is a huge list of sangrias to choose from. I just ended up with one glass, and I enjoyed it. It can be a little hard to get refills, so if that’s what you’re here for, be persistent! The rules are pretty funny and entertaining to read. The most popular dishes at our table was the Vaca Frita and Ropa Vieja Hash. I shared both with my husband and we were more than pleased! What a great spot for brunch with friends.

Calle Ocho was on my «need-​to-​do» bucket list while I was living on the upper west side last summer as an intern. Unfortunately, with their crazy reservations I was never able to get a table that fit my schedule. That all changed this year when I scored a table for 4 at 2:00pm on Halloween.
My friends and I got there at 2:00pm on the dot and after a few minutes of waiting, the hostess sat us down. It took awhile for the waiter to come with menus, but he took our orders for sangria right away while we continued looking for what we wanted to eat. The bread at the table is PHENOMENAL. No wonder people talk about it and the strawberry whipped butter is delicious too. My friend said it tasted like frosting. The breads are very sugary too, but still nonetheless great.
Food: Gallitos (for 2, for $ 32). What a steal! So much food, it can easily feed 3. But it wasn’t very good. The corn tortillas were thick which made it hard to make breakfast tacos. In the end I just started mixing the chorizo, guac, eggs, together and eating that. If I could have a do-​over I would pay more to get an individual meal. My other friend got the smoked salmon on top of eggs which looked divine. I would definitely go with an individual meal next time I come because it just looked more appetizing.
Sangria: Let me preface this with the fact that I LOVE sangria. Ehhhh, the white is definitely better than the red. I got the Punta Cana (Peach/​orange/​pineapple), tropical (mango/​pineapple/​lemongrass), and ended with a fresas (raspberries/​strawberry). All of it tasted like incredibly sugary cheap wine, which did not sit well with my system.
Service: While our service was a little slow, our waiter was very friendly and helpful. He gave us a description of what types of sangria there were each time we placed an order and gave recommendations of his favorites. Around 3:30 when everything was shutting down he asked us if we wanted another round and my friends happily obliged. Afterwards, we hung out in the lounge upfront while we finished our sangria!
No doubt in my mind Calle Ocho is the most affordable unlimited boozy brunch in the city. Everywhere that I have been the prices have been $ 30+. Would I come again? Of course! But I won’t be the one putting in reservations…

I’ve had better. Surprised about all the over-​hyped reviews. We went for dinner so maybe all the good reviews were for their Brunch. We got the Paella and it was pretty good but the rice in the paella was not hot, very lukewarm and the flavor was very mediocre. The chicken plate was nothing special… The picture looks way better than the taste. I guess at least the food LOOKS good, but the taste? not so much. We were kinda confused why others raved so much about Calle Ocho.
Food ²⁄₅
Service ³⁄₅
Atmosphere ⁴⁄₅
If you check in on Unilocal,you get a free glass of sangria! But wait our server never brought it… hahaha oh well. We totally forgot about it until he brought our check so I guess we should have asked about it before. But then again, he shouldn’t have forgot it. lol
Anyways, I’m just very disappointed and felt like we wasted a good meal we could have had somewhere else in NYC during our short visit. Nice fancy atmosphere but the food was just blah. Sadly, just because it has 4 stars with over 1,700+ reviews, doesn’t mean that it will be worth it.
If you really want to still give Calle Ocho a try, I would skip their dinner and only come for Brunch.

Your mission is in 1 hour and 45 minutes to enjoy as much sangria and cheesy bread and also pick an entrée to wash it all down with.
I made a reservation 3 weeks in advance since I wasn’t visiting New York for awhile and it was like set it and forget it. When I got that reminder, that call to confirm my reservation I was so excited! The boyfriend and I arrived a few minutes after 12 and was promptly seated in a two person booth. Great music in the background, sweet sweet statues every where, and a nice sunset orange on the walls.
Immediately we got water, a cuban cigar tray filled with cinnamon, walnut, blueberry muffins and warm cheesey bread with a side of strawberry butter, and also offered our first glass of 20 oz wine. In the end we had tried the Spanish Harlem, a red, had a deep red and fruity flavor, rather heavy to drink a lot of. The Punta Cana, a white, was light a fruity, while the Tropical was strong with rum and hints of peach.
We ordered the Vaca Frita, salty, flavorful, a good contrast to all the sweet, sweet wine, the rice was a bit dry, the meat was plentiful and tender, the egg, perfectly over easy, the avocado ripe, and the tomato/​red onion mix was great. The ropa vieja con huevos was a bit too saucy to my liking, that the potatoes pretty much soaked up all the meat stew, so it would have been nice had it been rice and beans instead of potatoes.
After two glasses each, countless cheesy bread rounds, and an entrée, we were more full than drunk from the brunch. The service was great, atmosphere upbeat, food decent. For about $ 22 per person not including tax or tip, it was a great deal for a Sunday brunch.
The bathrooms were clean, it’s located in the Excelsior hotel, the Museum of Natural History is right across the street, oh and if you still have room to order dessert I would eat it for you. Thanks!

Let’s get to the point here. A month in advance for reservations is utter BS. It’s good but it’s not THAT good.
Let me be gentle first. The food is good. However, I ordered shrimp and grits and I swear they gave me a tablespoon of grits and a cup of sauce. I was so annoyed so I actually told the waiter who said he’ll tell the manager and nothing happened. I wasn’t upset enough to complain even more I guess because the delicious wide variety of unlimited sangrias had me in a care free mood. So to compensate for my lack of grits I ordered a side of yuca fries. That was pretty good as well.
This place is nice. You get boozed up by really good sangria mixes that don’t taste like straight sugar, you can definitely feel the wine. The food is very tasty and the price is great. A month in advance reservations though I still can’t get that to sit right with me. Like get over yourselves…
Oh and yes!!! That complimentary bread and that butter is the reason why you should consume all your calories of your calorie free diet in this one sitting hunnay! (At least that’s what I did ;-))

On a pris le combo 4 ceviches qui d’après le serveur devait suffire pour 4 personnes, grosse blague c’était un apéro léger pour 4… Mais ils étaient pas mal. Heureusement les appetizers relevaient le niveau, copieux et vraiment bons (calamaris avec une sauce caramelisée, et dates au bacon!).
La sangria est très bonne et ils remplissent un grand verre :)
Le lieu est agréable, bonne musique latino et bar sympa.

Came back here with my boyfriend because their sangrias are so terrific (albeit, I had to wait 6 weeks of course, since it takes forever to get a table here)
We both got the Vaca Frita, and I was really disappointed. Not because the food was bad, because it really wasn’t! But because there was a disparity in the portions that my boyfriend and I received. If you look at the 2 photos I put up, you’ll see that I got a measly piece of meat while my boyfriend got a much larger piece. I’m sorry, Calle Ocho, and I understand that people probably come here for brunch more for the drinks than the food, but you definitely need to step up your game and fix your consistency issues.
There was definitely not enough meat to complement the rest of my dish so my very generous boyfriend gave me some of his. I also forgot to bring this up to the waiter because I was already past my second sangria and way too tipsy to remember… very disappointing indeed.